Garment assembly having a detachable and customizable canvas therefor

ABSTRACT

There is provided a garment assembly. The garment assembly includes a garment. The garment assembly also includes a replaceable medium for displaying visual images selectively connectable to the garment. The replaceable medium for displaying visual images is a paintable canvas in one preferred embodiment. The assembly further includes detachable connectors for removably and replaceably attaching the medium to the garment.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of provisional application No.61/569,473 filed in the United States Patent and Trademark Office onDec. 12, 2012, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein byreference and priority to which is claimed.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a garment assembly. In particular, theinvention relates to a garment assembly having a detachable andcustomizable canvas therefore.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

It is known to provide a garment with a printed first design thereon.However, the wearer in these cases may have to buy a further garmenthaving a printed second design in order to change the wearer's look orimage conveyed. It may be expensive to purchase multiple garments thatvary primarily with respect to their printed designs. Also, as moregarments are purchased, one must take into account closet space forstoring this additional clothing. The wearer may thus have to balancethe number of looks and images the wearer conveys with the wearer'spurchasing power and space constraints.

To avoid the above issues, the wearer may have to alter or print overthe first design. However, this may inhibit the wearer's ability to weara garment with the first design thereafter.

Garments with printed designs are also typically mass produced and sharea common design. Such garments may therefore inhibit a wearer's abilityto convey a personalized and/or individualized look or image.

There is accordingly a need to provide an improved garment assembly thatovercomes the above set out one or more disadvantages.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION

There is provided an improved garment assembly as disclosed herein.

There is accordingly provided a garment assembly including a garment.The assembly includes a replaceable medium for displaying visual imagesselectively connectable to the garment. The assembly includes adetachable connectors for removably and replaceably attaching the mediumto the garment.

There is also provided a customizable garment assembly kit. The kitincludes a garment having a transparent, pocket-shaped shell. The kitincludes a plurality of paintable canvases shaped to at least partiallyfit within the shell.

There is further provided a method for customizing a garment. The methodincludes painting a plurality of artistic indicia on a plurality ofrespective paintable canvases. Each canvas has a peripheral portion. Themethod further includes customizing the garment by selectively attachingand removing various ones of the canvases so painted onto the garment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The invention will be more readily understood from the followingdescription of preferred embodiments thereof given, by way of exampleonly, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a back elevation view of a garment assembly according to afirst aspect, the garment assembly comprising a garment, in this examplea hooded jacket, and the garment assembly also having a canvas and azipper for selectively connecting the canvas to the jacket;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, elevation view of the zipper for the garmentassembly shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of the garment assembly shown in FIG.1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, elevation view of a garment assembly accordingto a second aspect, the garment assembly having a snap-on buttonassembly for connecting the canvas to the jacket;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a pair of buttons from the buttonassembly shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary, elevation view of a garment assembly accordingto a third aspect, the garment assembly having a hook and loop fastenerfor connecting the canvas to the jacket;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary, elevation view of a garment assembly accordingto a fourth aspect, the garment assembly having a lace and loop assemblyfor connecting the canvas to the jacket;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary, elevation view of a garment assembly accordingto a fifth aspect, the garment assembly having a clip assembly forconnecting the canvas to the jacket;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary, sectional view of the jacket and a clip fromthe clip assembly shown in FIG. 8; and

FIG. 10 is a back elevation view of a garment assembly according to asixth aspect, the garment assembly including a hooded jacket and a videoscreen assembly detachably connected thereon.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to the drawings and first to FIG. 1, there is shown a garmentassembly 12. The assembly includes a garment, in this example a hoodedjacket 14, although the garment may comprise other types of clothing,such a shirt or sweater. The jacket is conventional and has a top 16,bottom 18 and a pair of sides 20 and 22 extending between the top andbottom. The jacket 14 has a pair of sleeves 24 and 26 that extend fromits sides 20 and 22, respectively. The jacket has a hood 28 extendingfrom its top 16.

The jacket 14 has a front 30 shown in FIG. 3, with a front pocket 32disposed on the front. The pocket is disposed adjacent to bottom 18 inthis example. As shown in FIG. 1, the jacket has a back 34 opposite thefront.

As shown in FIG. 1, the jacket 14 has an aperture 36 disposed on itsback 34 with a peripheral portion 38 extending about said aperture. Theassembly 12 has a connector, in this example in the form of a zipper 40extending about the peripheral portion, as best seen in FIG. 2. Theconnectors as herein described may be referred to as detachableconnectors for removably and replaceably attaching the medium to thegarment. The zipper and aperture 36 are positioned on the back 34 of thejacket 14 in this example. The zipper 40 includes a first set ofspaced-apart teeth 42 connected to a first flexible strip 44, a secondset of spaced-apart teeth 46 connected to a second flexible strip 48,and a zipper slider 50. Strips 44 and 48, as well as teeth 42 and 46,are disposed adjacent to each other. Strip 44 is connected to back 34 ofthe jacket 14. Zipper slider 50 is configured press teeth 42 and 46together upon moving the slider up or down, from the perspective of FIG.2, thereby selectively connecting strips 44 and 48 together. The zipper,with its parts and operation is conventional in this example and willtherefore not be described in further detail.

As seen in FIG. 1, the garment assembly 12 includes a detachable,replaceable medium for displaying visual images, in this example aplanar medium in the form of a paintable canvas 52. The canvas isrectangular in this example, as is aperture 36, though it may be othershapes. For example, the canvas may alternatively be in the shape of anoval, star or a heart. The canvas 52 is configured to fit withinaperture 36. The canvas has a peripheral portion 54 upon which strip 48of the zipper is connected, as best shown in FIG. 2. Zipper 40 enablesthe canvas 52 to be detachably connected to the back 34 of the jacket14. The assembly 12 may include an outer shell 56, shown in FIG. 1. Theshell is made of clear plastic, for example, which connects to theperipheral portion 54 of the canvas 52 and extends over the canvas toprotect the canvas. The shell 56 is water repellant and transparent inthis example. The shell may be pocketed shaped for selectively receivingthe canvas therein.

The canvas 52 may be sold blank and a user may create a user-customizeddesign in the form of a painting on the canvas for example and thereforemay customize jacket 14. Alternatively, the canvas may comprise originalart sold to consumers purchasing or owning the rest of the garmentassembly. In this example, canvas 52 includes artistic indicia, in thisexample in the form of a painted work 53 shown in FIG. 1. The canvas maybe sold to consumers who already own the garment assembly and who wantto increase the number and diversity of canvases connectable to theirjacket 14. As a further alternative, art may be printed onto the canvasand mass produced. The art may include popular art, as well as hologramsfor example. A plurality of canvases may be packaged and sold as a kit,with the canvases, for example, forming a narrative. In yet anotheralternative, the canvases as herein described may be applied to avariety of different types of garment assemblies, which may includeother types of jackets or other types of clothing such as shirts orsweaters, each having the ability to connect the canvas to the garment.The garment assembly 12 as described herein may thus enable a user toincrease the number and variety of different images and messages thatmay be conveyed via the user's clothing, providing the ability toeffectively expand his or her wardrobe and self-expression.

Referring to FIG. 3, the front 30 of the jacket 14 in this example alsohas a further zipper 58 and a further detachable, replaceable medium fordisplaying visual images, in this example a further canvas 60. Canvas 60has further artistic indicia, in this example in the form of a furtherpainted work 61. Zipper 58 detachably connects canvas 60 to the front 30of the jacket. Alternatively, the jacket may have a canvas only on thefront or the back. Zipper 58 and canvas 60 enable one to furthercustomize his or her clothing. The zipper and canvas are substantiallythe same as zipper 40 and canvas 52, and therefore will not be describedfurther.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show a garment assembly 12.1 according to a second aspect.Like parts have like numbers and functions as the assembly shown inFIGS. 1 to 3 with the addition of “.1”. Garment assembly 12.1 issubstantially the same as garment assembly 12 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 withthe exception that its connector is in the form of a snap-on buttonassembly 62 for connecting canvas 52.1 to the back 34.1 of jacket 14.1.The button assembly has a first set of buttons, as shown by button 64,which extend along and are connected to strip 44.1. The button assembly62 has a second set of buttons, as shown by button 66, which extendalong and are connected to strip 48.1, in this example.

The buttons are best shown in FIG. 5. Each button, as shown by button64, has a body 67 that is cylindrical in shape in this example. Eachbutton also includes a pair of prongs 68 and 70 extending outwards fromsaid body. The prongs connect to their respective strips 44.1 and 48.1.Each button 64 has a female recess 72. Each corresponding button 66 hasa male protrusion 74 configured to selectively press-fit within one ofsaid recesses 72 for connecting the buttons together. The snap-onbuttons are conventional in this example and therefore will not bedescribed further.

FIG. 6 shows a garment assembly 12.2 according to a third aspect. Likeparts have like numbers and functions as the assembly shown in FIGS. 1to 3 with the addition of “.2”. Garment assembly 12.2 is substantiallythe same as garment assembly 12 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 with the exceptionthat its connector is the form of a hook and loop fastener 76 forconnecting canvas 52.2 to the back 34.2 of jacket 14.2. Strip 44.2 has aplurality of hook portions, in this example hooks 78 and strip 48.2 hasa plurality of loop portions, in this example loops 80. The hooks areconfigured to selectively latch onto the loops and the canvas 52.2 isselectively connectable to the jacket 14.2 thereby. The hook and loopfastener 76 is conventional in this example and therefore will not bedescribed further.

FIG. 7 shows a garment assembly 12.3 according to a fourth aspect. Likeparts have like numbers and functions as the assembly shown in FIGS. 1to 3 with the addition of “.3”. Garment assembly 12.3 is substantiallythe same as garment assembly 12 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 with the exceptionthat its connector is the form of a lace and loop assembly 82 forconnecting canvas 52.3 to the back 34.3 of jacket 14.3. The garmentassembly 12.3 has a first set of spaced-apart apertures, as shown byaperture 84, extending along peripheral portion 38.3 of the jacket 14.3.The garment assembly has a second set of spaced-apart apertures, asshown by aperture 86, extending along peripheral portion 54.3 of thecanvas 52.3. Assembly 82 includes a lace 88 that is criss-crossconnected alternately through respective ones of said apertures 84 and86 for selectively connecting canvas 52.3 to the jacket 14.3. The laceand loop assembly 82 is conventional in this example and therefore willnot be described further.

FIGS. 8 and 9 show a garment assembly 12.4 according to a fifth aspect.Like parts have like numbers and functions as the assembly shown inFIGS. 1 to 3 with the addition of “.4”. Garment assembly 12.4 issubstantially the same as garment assembly 12 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 withthe exception that its connector is the form of a clip assembly 90 forconnecting canvas 52.4 to the back 34.4 of jacket 14.4. The clipassembly 90 has a plurality of spaced-apart gripping members, in thisexample clips, as shown by clip 92. The clips are made of thin wire inthis example. Clips 92 extend along peripheral portion 38.4 of thejacket 14.4. As seen in FIG. 9, each of the clips 92 is v-shaped in thisexample.

Each clip has a first portion 94 connected to and, in this example,embedded within the jacket 14.4 via the back 34.4 of the jacket. Each ofthe clips has a second portion 96 and a bend 98. Portions 94 and 96 areconnectable together at bend 98. Portions 96 have open positions shownin FIG. 9. In this position the peripheral portion 54.4 of the canvas,shown in FIG. 8, may be disposed between portions 94 and 96. The clipsalso have closed positions in which portions 94 and 96 are positionedadjacent to each other. The clips are spring-biased towards their closedpositions. Once the canvas is positioned between the portions of theassembly 90, portions 96 are biased and/or pressed downwards so as toabut the canvas 54.4 as seen in FIG. 8. The clips so biased and/orpressed together selectively hold and frictionally engage canvas 52.4.The plurality of spaced-apart clips 92, are aligned along the peripheralportion 38.4 of the jacket so as to fit the canvas therebetween.

FIG. 10 shows a garment assembly 12.5 according to a sixth aspect. Likeparts have like numbers and functions as the assembly shown in FIGS. 1to 3 with the addition of “.5”. Garment assembly 12.5 is substantiallythe same as garment assembly 12 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 with the followingexceptions. Instead of a canvas, the replaceable medium for displayingvisual images of the assembly 12.5 is in the form of a video screenassembly 100 detachably connected to the back 34.5 of the jacket 12.5,in this example. The video screen assembly includes a thin, flat videoscreen 102 having a translucent, soft gel screen 104. The video screen102 may be used to digitally display expression, including art indigital form. The thin, flat video screen, with its various parts andfunctionings, is conventional in this example and will therefore not bedescribed in detail.

The video screen assembly 100 has a battery 106 configured to providepower to the video screen. Video screen 102 electrically connects to thebattery via a cable 108. The jacket 14.5 includes a pocket 110, in thisexample, connected to the back 34.5 of the jacket and disposed adjacentto bottom 18.5. The pocket is shaped to retain the battery 106. Thepocket 110 has an opening 112 through which the battery 106 passes forstoring the battery within the pocket.

The pocket is not strictly required. For example, alternatively, battery106 and cable 108 may be sewn into the jacket 14.5 such that the cableand battery are hidden from view.

It will be appreciated that yet further variations are possible withinthe scope of the invention described herein. For example, instead ofcanvas, the detachable replaceable medium for displaying visual imagesmay be in the form of a sheet of paper.

Also, instead of an aperture 36, there may be a rectangular area, forexample, comprising the fabric on the back 34 of the jacket 14, with thezipper 40 surrounding said area and the canvas overlaying said area. Itwill also be understood by someone skilled in the art that many of thedetails provided above are by way of example only and are not intendedto limit the scope of the invention which is to be determined withreference to at least the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A garment assembly comprising: a garment; a replaceable medium for displaying visual images, the replaceable medium being selectively connectable to said garment; and detachable connectors for removably and replaceably attaching the medium to the garment.
 2. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the replaceable medium for displaying visual images is a canvas.
 3. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the detachable connectors include a zipper connecting in part to the garment and connecting in part to replaceable medium, the zipper extending around a peripheral portion of the replaceable medium.
 4. The assembly as claimed in claim 3 wherein the garment has an aperture, the replaceable medium for displaying visual images being shaped to at least partially fit within and extend across the aperture of the garment.
 5. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the assembly further includes an outer shell that extends across and over top of the replaceable medium for displaying visual images, the outer shell being water repellant and at least partially transparent and connecting to the peripheral portion of the replaceable medium for displaying visual images.
 6. The assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein the garment includes a front, a back opposite the front, and a further aperture and wherein the assembly includes a further replaceable medium for displaying visual images and a further detachable connectors for removably and replaceably attaching the further medium to the garment, a first one of the apertures of the garment being located on the front of the garment, a second one of the apertures of the garment being located on the back of the garment, and the replaceable mediums being shaped to selectively connect to the front and back of the garments.
 7. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the replaceable medium for displaying visual images is a canvas and wherein the detachable connectors include a plurality of snap-on buttons connected to the garment and the canvas, respectively, the buttons selectively connecting the canvas onto the garment.
 8. The assembly as claimed in claim 7 wherein the garment has a peripheral portion extending around the aperture of the garment, the replaceable medium for displaying visual images has a peripheral portion, the peripheral portion of the replaceable medium for displaying visual images aligning with the peripheral portion of the garment when the replaceable medium for displaying visual images extends over of the aperture of the garment, and wherein the assembly further includes the snap-on buttons connect to the peripheral portion of the garment and the peripheral portion of the replaceable medium for displaying visual images, respectively, the buttons selectively connecting the replaceable medium for displaying visual images onto the garment.
 9. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the detachable connectors include a hook and loop fastener, hook portions of the hook and loop fastener connecting to a first one of the garment and the replaceable medium for displaying visual images and loop portions of the hook and loop fastener connecting a second one of the garment and the replaceable medium for displaying visual images, the hook and loop fastener selectively connecting the replaceable medium for displaying visual images onto the garment.
 10. The assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein the garment has a peripheral portion extending around the aperture of the garment, the replaceable medium for displaying visual images has a peripheral portion, the peripheral portion of the replaceable medium for displaying visual images aligning with the peripheral portion of the garment when the replaceable medium for displaying visual images extends over of the aperture of the garment, the hook portions of the hook and loop fastener connecting to the peripheral portion of a first one of the garment and the replaceable medium for displaying visual images and the loop portions of the hook and loop fastener connecting to the peripheral portion of a second one of the garment and the replaceable medium for displaying visual images, the hook and loop fastener selectively connecting the replaceable medium for displaying visual images onto the garment.
 11. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the garment has a peripheral portion extending around the aperture of the garment, the replaceable medium for displaying visual images has a peripheral portion, the peripheral portion of the replaceable medium for displaying visual images aligning with the peripheral portion of the garment when the replaceable medium for displaying visual images extends over of the aperture of the garment, the peripheral portions of the garment and the replaceable medium for displaying visual images each having a plurality of spaced-apart apertures extending therethrough, and wherein the detachable connectors include lace that selectively weaves through and between the apertures of the respective ones of the peripheral portions of the garment and the replaceable medium for displaying visual images.
 12. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the detachable connectors include a plurality of spaced-apart, spring-biased gripping members.
 13. The assembly as claimed in claim 12, wherein the garment has a peripheral portion extending around the aperture of the garment, the replaceable medium for displaying visual images has a peripheral portion, the peripheral portion of the replaceable medium for displaying visual images aligning with the peripheral portion of the garment when the replaceable medium for displaying visual images extends over of the aperture of the garment and wherein each of the gripping members has a first portion connected to the peripheral portion of a first one of the garment and the replaceable medium for displaying visual images and a second portion connected to its respective first portion at one end, the second portions of the gripping members being spring-biased towards the first portions of the gripping members, the peripheral portion of a second one of the garment and the replaceable medium for displaying visual images being selectively positionable between the first and second portions of the gripping members.
 14. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the replaceable medium for displaying visual images is a video screen.
 15. The assembly as claimed in claim 14, wherein the assembly further includes a battery electrically connecting to the video screen, the battery powering the video screen, and the garment further including a pocket shaped to receive the battery.
 16. A customizable garment assembly kit comprising: a garment having a pocket-shaped transparent shell; and a plurality of paintable canvases shaped to at least partially fit within the shells.
 17. The assembly as claimed in claim 16 wherein further including detachable connectors for removably and replaceably attaching respective ones of the canvases to the garment, each of the canvases has printed thereon a respective one of a plurality of artistic indicia, the garment being customizable thereby.
 18. The assembly as claimed in claim 16 wherein at least one of the canvases is paintable for painting a user-customized design thereon.
 19. A method for customizing a garment comprising: painting a plurality of artistic indicia on a plurality of respective paintable canvases, each canvas having a peripheral portion; customizing the garment by selectively attaching and removing various ones of the canvases so painted onto the garment.
 20. The method as claimed in claim 19, further including: connecting flexible strips to each of the peripheral portions of the canvases and connecting a corresponding flexible strip to the garment, each flexible strip having a plurality of spaced-apart teeth that are connectable together via a zipper slider; and selectively attaching and removing respective ones of the canvas so painted to the garment by actuating the zipper slider and meshing the teeth of the flexible strips together. 